Spiral Knights, an MMORPG released in 2011 (with closed testing in 2009), is a cooperative dungeon exploration game by Three Rings Design (devs of Puzzle Pirates). Basically, think LoZ: Four Swords. You explore the Clockworks, which is a randomly generated dungeon that fills the planet's interior, with 3 other Knights. While thousands of knights may be participating in Spiral Knights at a time, any given knight interacts directly with only a small subset of them. For example, in Haven there are typically tens of knights present; however, there are tens of independent copies of Haven being maintained simultaneously. When a knight is in the Clockworks, he interacts with only three (or fewer) other knights, as well as numerous monsters. If you want to know more, you can obviously read the Website or Wikipedia article; they word things better than I could.
You have crashed. You are stranded, but not alone.

The Spiral Knights have awoken on an alien world. Their equipment stores have been raided and their starship, The Skylark, will not recover from the crash. Now they must work together to survive on a journey that will take them to the very core of the world.

Take up your arms!

Cradle is a hostile planet teeming with all manner of alien creatures. Any hope of survival you may have rests on your ability to amass an arsenal of weapons and gear that will provide you with the right options for any environment. As a Spiral Knight you have total freedom to customize and use your arsenal however you choose!

Join your fellow knights in Haven.

Once some kind of mining outpost, Haven serves as the makeshift base camp for Spiral HQ. From within the safety of its walls, knights can find an array of goods and services offered by the locals. Everything from purchasing new weapons and gear to alchemizing powerful items from strange materials is right at your fingertips!
Explore the mysteries of the Clockworks.

Stretching deep below Haven, The Clockworks is a giant subterranean complex filled with pieces of strange worlds, dangerous creatures and fabulous treasure. Will you and your fellow knights answer its call to adventure?
Harness the power of the Arcade.

Filled with strange machinery powered by Minerals claimed from the worlds below, Haven's Arcade is used by the Spiral Knights to build their own gates that cut unique paths into the underground Clockworks. (No two gates are alike!)
Take your adventure to the Core!

Spiral HQ is picking up a strong energy reading from deep within the planet's Core. Are you brave enough to face whatever dangers might lie between you and the secrets of this mysterious new world?

Trailer

Latest patch info

July 31st

Bugfixes
- Fixed stuck doors in the Clockworks.
- Adjusted the mission rewards of 'Alchemy for Beginners.'
- Fixed the spawn rates for Orbs of Alchemy in Tier 3.

July 30th

Battle Sprites
Battle Sprites are new combat companions that all players can acquire by completing a new series of Rank 2 missions upon reaching Haven. These missions teach players about Battle Sprites and allow them to try out each of the three starter sprites before ultimately choosing one to keep.
The three starter Battle Sprites are the fiery Drakon, the divine Seraphinx, and the shadowy Maskeraith; each with their own unique powers that will become more powerful as the sprite levels up and evolves! Just remember to feed them materials or food crafted from the Lab so your sprite can level up faster, evolve and gain new skills.
Additional Battle Sprite Info:
- Battle sprites acquire perks at most levels. Perks are selected randomly.
- Battle sprites can continue to acquire perks after reaching level 100.
- Battle sprite skill points and ultimate skill choice can be reset with an item called a ‘Reset Star.’ Reset Stars are sold in the Supply Depot. When using a Reset Star, a sprite’s level is retained.

The Lab
The Biotechs of the Spiral Knights have finally got the Lab up and running! Head on over to the Haven Garrison and learn more about Battle Sprites and what the Spiral Knights have discovered about the world of Cradle.
The Lab also includes an ensemble of NPCs related to Battle Sprites:
- Biotech Morlin teaches you about sprite skills, perks, harnesses, and leveling
- Biscotti explains how to feed and care for Battle Sprites
- A special alchemy machine next to Biscotti allows you to craft favored sprite food from materials and minerals
- Riley sells harnesses for Battle Sprites that change their damage types

Energy Changes
- Elevators no longer require any energy to operate. Explore the Clockworks as much and as often as you wish!
- Elevator passes are no longer for sale
- Player-owned Elevator Passes have been replaced with 10 Radiant Fire Crystals and energy deposited into the player's account at a conversion rate of 2625 energy for each month of time left on your energy pass, rounded up.
- Mist energy and mist tank items have been removed
- Player-owned mist tanks have been replaced with 10 Sparks of Life (bound)
- Player-owned mini mist tanks have been replaced with 1 Spark of Life (bound)
- ‘Crystal Energy’ is now simply called ‘Energy’
- Mist Wells have been renamed 'Energy Wells' and no longer provide a 25% bonus on deposit.
- Mist within Mist Wells has been converted to energy and may be withdrawn at 100 energy per day

New Revive System
- All knights now have an Emergency Revive mechanism built into their armor that will revive them shortly after falling in combat once per floor. An ER only restores all the red health pips you have, but no more.
- If a knight is brought to an elevator dead, their ER will be instantly used at the start of the next floor.
- After falling in combat without an ER, the primary means of reviving is no longer energy. Players must use a ‘Spark of Life’ in order to revive in the Clockworks.
- Sparks of Life can be earned via missions, found in treasure blocks or purchased in bulk at a discount price in the Supply Depot. Sparks of Life cannot be purchased from the Supply Depot while in the Clockworks.
- If dead without a ER or Spark of Life, a Spark of Life can be activated for 50 energy. This price never escalates.
- Removed the ability to revive by sharing health as well as any heat sharing from reviving. Players may still revive each other using Sparks of Life.
- The old ‘Spark of Life’ crafting material has been renamed to ‘Storm Chaser’

General Changes
- Rescue Camp missions have reworked narrative hooks that will allow for exciting new missions in the future
- Removed "Securing the Camp" mission
- A knight explaining the Forge has been added to the Haven Town Square
- A new class of items have been added, known as ‘Rarities.’ Rarities include sparks of life, fire crystals, orbs of alchemy and evo catalysts.
- There is no longer a crown fee for joining Arcade Gates.
- New scenario rooms have been added.

Difficulty Modes
Players may now choose one of three difficulty levels when taking on missions or expeditions:
- Normal mode is intended for new players and is easier than what existing players may be used to. It features lower payouts for crowns and heat as well as lower drop rates for materials and rarities.
- Advanced mode is intended for existing players and is roughly equivalent to what they may be used to. It features current payouts for crowns and heat as well as average drop rates for materials and rarities.
- Elite mode is intended for players seeking a high level of challenge. It features the highest payouts for crowns and heat as well as the highest drop rates for materials and rarities.

Item Changes
- Loot now drops for each member of a party and each party member must pick up their own loot. You now will earn the exact same amount of loot in a party as you do solo, so party up!
- 2 star materials and higher now only drop from a specific monster family.
- Removed decay timer for crowns and heat
- Extended decay timer for hearts
- Players can no longer drop vials and capsules they acquire in the Clockworks
- Some rare monsters now have a chance to drop new items.
- All missions have been updated with new mission rewards.
New materials have been added. These include:
- Spark Plug
- Vile Seal
- Sinful Brew
- Dead Gold
- Wicked Idol
- Crest of Ur
- Royal Skewer

Equip Limits
Equipping items is now limited by your Mission Rank:
- Mission Rank of 3 is required to equip 2-star gear
- Mission Rank of 5 is required to equip 3-star gear
- Mission Rank of 6 is required to equip 4-star gear
- Mission Rank of 8 is required to equip 5-star gear
Any equipment bound before this patch will become your new current equip limit. For example. A knight who had only completed missions through Rank 3 but had 4 star gear equipped will be able to equip gear 4 star and below until achieving Rank 8.

UI Changes
- Added three new quickslots to the HUD for Battle Sprite skills
- Added a HUD icon for your Emergency Revive
- Added a Get Energy button to the Supply Depot
- Added a slider to the party configuration screen for adjusting difficulty
- The star level indicator on an item pill will now turn red if an item exceeds your equip limit
- Added a blue gem graphic to item pills that displays their bound status
- Added The Forge, a new interface for leveling and enhancing items
- Added new screen effect when damage is taken
- Added a Battle Sprite tab to the character panel that includes skill details, perks, harnesses and the feeding tray
- Achievements and Progress have been moved to a new Character Progress window available from the main menu

Alchemy Changes
Energy is no longer required to use alchemy. A new type of item, ‘Orbs of Alchemy,’ have replaced energy associated with alchemy. There are five orbs of alchemy in all:
- Flawed Orb of Alchemy
- Simple Orb of Alchemy
- Advanced Orb of Alchemy
- Elite Orb of Alchemy
- Eternal Orb of Alchemy
Orbs of alchemy may be purchased in unbound stacks from the Supply Depot, acquired via missions or as rare loot in treasure blocks.

The Forge
Items that acquire heat will no longer automatically level up when enough heat is required at the end of a level. Instead, a new type of item called ‘Fire Crystals’ must be used within a new interface called ‘The Forge’ in order to level up your items. Fire crystals include:
- Cracked Fire Crystal
- Dim Fire Crystal
- Warm Fire Crystal
- Glowing Fire Crystal
- Shining Fire Crystal
- Radiant Fire Crystal
The Forge can be accessed in town or at any arsenal station. When an item is ready to level up, open the Forge and select the item. The item will require a certain number of a specific fire crystal to level up. However, in some cases there is a chance the forge will not succeed and the fire crystals will be lost. No heat is ever lost due a failed forging.
Additionally, players have the option to add more than the requisite fire crystals in order to improve the odds of a successful forge as well as the chance to gain a special bonus. These bonuses include:
- Heat Bonus: +25% (one level)
- Double Level Up!
- Forge Prize Box containing a random assortment of various rarities and other items (prize box and contents are bound)
Fire crystals may be purchased in stacks in the Supply Depot, acquired via missions or found as loot in treasure blocks.

Recipe Changes
A number of recipes have had their crafting requirements changed in order to better balance out the usage of both new and old materials:

Rarity Distribution to Existing Players
All existing players have been sent rarities based on their current Mission Rank. Each player will receive exactly the total number of rarities they would have otherwise received from missions as of this update. All items are bound.

Energy Pack Changes
- The Explorer's Pack is no longer available.
- Any energy packs containing Mist Tanks have been replaced with 5 Sparks of Life per Mist Tank.
- The Guardian's Armor Pack has had its Elevator Pass removed and replaced with energy.

Example: You can team up with your friends or random people, and go into dungeons and its many levels
Runescape - Dungeoneering Skill.

Example 2: Did I mention this game has swords AND guns?
World of Warcraft - Swords and Guns.

Example 3: You are able to choose what your character looks like when you first start, although the selection is small, and they all have the same stats.
Free-To-Play - Almost every F2P game in existence.

Example: You can team up with your friends or random people, and go into dungeons and its many levels
Runescape - Dungeoneering Skill.

Example 2: Did I mention this game has swords AND guns?
World of Warcraft - Swords and Guns.

Example 3: You are able to choose what your character looks like when you first start, although the selection is small, and they all have the same stats.
Free-To-Play - Almost every F2P game in existence.

Not if it is your first MMO and you really haven't looked into others. There are too many MMOs for them all to have a thread. A large amount of them have a gamebreaking cash shop or a irritatingly long grind to get anywhere.

It is still in development, so it can still change the pace. I doubt it will though. Just another way of making quick cash off of some kids parents.

Not if it is your first MMO and you really haven't looked into others. There are too many MMOs for them all to have a thread. A large amount of them have a gamebreaking cash shop or a irritatingly long grind to get anywhere.

It is still in development, so it can still change the pace. I doubt it will though. Just another way of making quick cash off of some kids parents.

What's the point of posting in here then if you're just gonna say the game is shit and there's millions of other MMOs out there?

And the only way of them making cash is someone buying energy, which you can purchase with in-game money too, but even then someone with 1/3 of a brain can see that it's pointless to buy with real money.

Edited:

Sorry for bringing attention to a game that is fun that hasn't gotten a lot of attention.

Not if it is your first MMO and you really haven't looked into others. There are too many MMOs for them all to have a thread. A large amount of them have a gamebreaking cash shop or a irritatingly long grind to get anywhere.

It is still in development, so it can still change the pace. I doubt it will though. Just another way of making quick cash off of some kids parents.

The cash shop seems to be pretty optional, considering you can pay with regular ingame currency.